Credit to the team for a good year, built a nice car, needed the track (temp) to come to it in some races, but overall a very good year of progress. Let's hope this is a good baseline for 2013, I'm sure it will be - they have the talent/ability within the team to push on from here, and improved commercials via increased sponsorship should allow a medium to longer term focus.

I am concerned about Grosjean - he has undoubted pace, but he seems to lack spatial awareness at F1 speeds - most of the crashes (at his fault) seem to be caused by a lack of awareness of his surroundings. I find this hard to understand given his previous series experience - i.e. it should have been obvious prior to his formula 1 career, though admittedly I didn't follow it that closely.

I am concerned about Grosjean - he has undoubted pace, but he seems to lack spatial awareness at F1 speeds - most of the crashes (at his fault) seem to be caused by a lack of awareness of his surroundings. I find this hard to understand given his previous series experience - i.e. it should have been obvious prior to his formula 1 career, though admittedly I didn't follow it that closely.

And he gets involved many other crashes (which are not purely his fault) as well, meaning he is not very good avoiding close combats or crashes that happen around him either. IMO that's points to spatial awareness problem as well.

He now has experience from 2 separate F1 seasons, 26 races total. So far I haven't seen any improvement in this area. Instead he seems to get worse; this weekend he crashed in both qualifying and race. He seems to be fast if everything goes fine, but on the other hand is so unreliable that he ruins most of his races and often brings others with him (Spa being a perfect example).

I hope Raikkonen and the car are even more integrated next season. I understand this season is first and would have taken time to understand. I hope Lotus can place even more faith in what Raikkonen wants. I am thinking the later half of 2009 season. Kimi was pushing the car to all it could be. Not saying this season was not great. It was great, but it is only natural the understanding between driver and team can always get better after the first season. For example, the steering could be worked on. As much as adding inherent speed to the car, it is as important to have the car that allows the driver to push it as if it were an extension of his body. For this, you need to believe in the driver, and have the faith to incorporate his feedback.

This team has already shown how talented they are. I hope these two become an even better hit.

now something got me thinking, perhaps this US sponsors want some big name American driver in the 2nd seat, cause looking at F1 stable, there aren't any big name left, perhaps someone from IRL ... who knows

Stop bashing Grosjean all the time... too many mistakes this year, true, but today he wasn't the only one. I mean, even Kimi was off road 2 times, and finished 10th only with di Resta in the wall.Grosjean was unlucky to lose his rear at this fast corner

anyway, poor race for Lotus

even when Kimi made mistakes, he still score points and didn't crash out. it's damage limitation.... I'm not trying to be mean to Groggy but he seems unable to handle the pressure and it has gotten to his head.

Stop bashing Grosjean all the time... too many mistakes this year, true, but today he wasn't the only one. I mean, even Kimi was off road 2 times, and finished 10th only with di Resta in the wall.Grosjean was unlucky to lose his rear at this fast corner

anyway, poor race for Lotus

Grosjean wasn't unlucky. Watch the video. He got his wheels on the paint, which means trouble. Much more slippery. Drivers in front of him avoided the paint, Grosjean didn't and crashed. Whether it was caused by inexperience, brain fade or poor spatial awareness, I don't know.

“Audi has now won this event 11 times since 2000 and always with the help of Honeywell Garrett turbochargers,” said Ulrich Baretzky, the head of Engine Development at Audi Sport. “The demands in developing the latest V6 TDI turbocharging concept were extreme, from general technology to thermal loads, chemical corrosion, bearing play, clearances, etc. These are exactly the technologies which Audi developed together with its long-standing turbo partner Honeywell.”

Honeywell’s motorsport activities provide real-world validation for its turbo technology portfolio. Its collaboration with Audi Sport led to the first Audi Le Mans victory in 2000 and a follow-up 2001 victory with the combination of turbocharging and gasoline direct injection, which is standard in production vehicles today. In 2006, Audi and Honeywell shared the first Le Mans victory of a diesel-powered race car and then claimed the first winning race car with variable turbine geometry in 2010.

“We use motorsports as a means of both developing and validating our technologies,” said Honeywell Turbo Technologies Advanced Technology and Innovation Vice President Gavin Donkin. “Honeywell has developed and sold VNT turbos for high volume passenger and commercial vehicles for years, but to adopt them to the intense performance needs demanded by Le Mans gives us an opportunity to develop the next generation of these technologies.”

it seems Honeywell and Garrett Turbo company has some internal relationship (those who don't know, garrett is one of the leading TC producing companies in the world)

it's also interesting that Honeywell-F1 link has been announced prior to introduction of TC V6 in F1, coincidence ??? i think not.

P.S found the relationship ... Garrett is owned by Honeywell

From Wiki ...

Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch. In 1968, Garrett AiResearch merged with Signal Oil & Gas to form Signal Companies, which in 1985 merged with Allied Corp. into AlliedSignal. In 1999 AlliedSignal acquired Honeywell and adopted the Honeywell name.

and one more trivia, the last Turbo V6 renault engine that powered Lotus f1 used ... you guessed it, Garrett Turbochargers ...

Good to hear that there is a possibility of securing a good title sponsor for Lotus . In the meantime, I was wondering whether the team would run the DRD next year. What are your thoughts?

with rules remaining same (bar adding a non aerodynamic showpiece fitted to the noses to cover up the steps) , every team would need some clever gizmo to keep ahead of the rest of the pack. IMHO, the biggest gain will come from Coanda exhaust, the current overhang exhaust is satisfactory but not enough, most team have to develop more direct mean of exhaust to reach the brake ducts ala Red Bull solution. DRD will give them benefit, that provided they can switch it in the right place. worryingly, Merc, Red Bull and Ferrari have tested some iteration of Lotus system in Abu Dhabi YDT, and if any team can work with aero devices, it'll be Red bull ...

however, another big gain will be whover can work with the 2013 spec tire best, it'll have different construction and dimensions, not to mention added weight. So for LotusF1, biggest gain areas are ...

1.Tires (that doesn't depend of planetary alignment/weather forecast to work)2.Coanda exhaust (finding missing power and better flow direction)3.Front and rear wing config to give a better chance of overtaking4.more responsive Steering wheel that kimi wants5.someone competent on the pit-board making decisions6.more active pit crews and faster pit-stops7.bit more juice out of KERS8.a second driver that actually works

also i'd point out that one good thing next year will be limited use of DRS during qualification, this should stop RB storming away during quali, also help setting up the car easier for drivers.

with rules remaining same (bar adding a non aerodynamic showpiece fitted to the noses to cover up the steps) , every team would need some clever gizmo to keep ahead of the rest of the pack. IMHO, the biggest gain will come from Coanda exhaust, the current overhang exhaust is satisfactory but not enough, most team have to develop more direct mean of exhaust to reach the brake ducts ala Red Bull solution. DRD will give them benefit, that provided they can switch it in the right place. worryingly, Merc, Red Bull and Ferrari have tested some iteration of Lotus system in Abu Dhabi YDT, and if any team can work with aero devices, it'll be Red bull ...

however, another big gain will be whover can work with the 2013 spec tire best, it'll have different construction and dimensions, not to mention added weight. So for LotusF1, biggest gain areas are ...

1.Tires (that doesn't depend of planetary alignment/weather forecast to work)2.Coanda exhaust (finding missing power and better flow direction)3.Front and rear wing config to give a better chance of overtaking4.more responsive Steering wheel that kimi wants5.someone competent on the pit-board making decisions6.more active pit crews and faster pit-stops7.bit more juice out of KERS8.a second driver that actually works

also i'd point out that one good thing next year will be limited use of DRS during qualification, this should stop RB storming away during quali, also help setting up the car easier for drivers.

Nov.24 (GMM) American credit card giant Mastercard could be set to return to Formula One, according to the latest speculation in Brazil.

Russia’s f1news.ru reported that Mastercard – having sponsored Lola’s stillborn F1 effort in 1997 and then Jordan between 1998-2001 – has now agreed a trackside sponsorship deal with Bernie Ecclestone’s company FOM.

The Lotus Formula One team is understood to be on the verge of a title sponsorship agreement with American technology giant Honeywell.

Although the deal was not believed to have been signed by Sunday evening, it is thought the framework of the agreement is in place and a formal announcement pending.

Informed insiders suggested the value may total some US$30 million annually, a huge boost to the finances of the Enstone-based team which finished fourth in this year's constructors' world championship.

The deal is being negotiated by The Partnership Practice, a London-based agency headed by Steve Silk, which has significant experience in global motorsport sponsorships.

If confirmed, the deal would be the largest team sponsorship deal in Formula One for some time and the second team title sponsorship deal in a matter of weeks, following car manufacturer Infiniti’s step up at Red Bull Racing.

Although Group Lotus acquired the naming rights to the team in 2010 as part of a wider deal which included an option to buy into the team, the deal was terminated in April by team owner Genii Capital. The team, formerly called Renault, has kept the Lotus name.

Shortly after driver Kimi Raikkonen's win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the team scored a commercial victory by securing a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola's energy drink brand Burn for 2013 and beyond.

Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, provides technological solutions in areas such as safety, security and energy. It employs around 132,000 people globally, including over 19,000 engineers and scientists.

Although the company is headquartered in New Jersey, it has significant divisions in China, India, the Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Honeywell's decision to enter Formula One comes just weeks after the sport's return to the United States with a race in Austin, Texas.

Romain Grosjean acknowledged that discussions concerning an extension of contract to 2013 were on the right track. The Lotus driver was invited to the Sport Matinale on the new channel of the French TNT, the team 21.

Lotus F1 Team Ltd made a loss of £20.8m in 2011 according to the newly released financial accounts – but the team was actually better off than in the previous season, when it lost £34.2m after tax.

The improved situation was due to a significant increase in turnover, up from £82.1m to £115.6m. The team says that was due in large part to the now cancelled sponsorship from Group Lotus, along with new income from Russia and Brazil, related to 2011 drivers Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna.

However, operating expenses also rose from £122.1m to £134.3m. The team says this was attributed to “several areas of the business including acquisition fees and commercial functions, tyre supply agreement, salary increases, and race related costs.”

The accounts also reveal that the team had net debt of £37.1m as of December 31 2011, and that the average number of employees fell from 514 to 500 in 2010-11.

for a team like LotusF1, 500 employee is really small no. if we consider the no. of points they've accumulated and the car's performance, i'll bet Merc Gp has more bucks and Manpower than LotusF1. but since i started watching F1, i always heard that the Enstone team is perhaps the most Efficient team on the grid in terms of utilizing budget.

it's nice to see how the team has changed it's fortune, first Burn and now 30+ million dollar's honeywell sponsorship ... Go kimi and LotusF1

Here are pics taken by fellow racing nerd, Hummingbird! She was at a Helsinki mall and there was a Lotus E20 show car, Kimi’s helmet and his steering wheel out on display! Enjoy, courtesy of Hummingbird!View pics here